The Best Holiday Kale salad ever

Merry Christmas dear readers! Okay, so this recipe post comes a bit late because you probably already celebrated Christmas with your loved one. However, if you are hosting other dinner parties this Holiday season, I highly recommend this kale salad!

This is my third year making this Christmas salad and it is a big hit with my very carnivorous family each time. Yes, I’m that person who always make sure there are vegetables on the table.

Struggles of a vegetarian

The dish is from Oh She Glows’s Cookbook and is named the Festive Kale Salad with Sweet Apple-Cinnamon Vinaigrette & Pecan Parmesan.

Below is the recipe with some of my comments that could help you in the preparation of this delicious dish.

Holiday Kale Salad

Source of recipe: Angela Liddon
Serving: 4 to 6 people
Prep time: 20-25 mins
Cook time: 7-9 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Pecan Parmesan:
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
1 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt

For the dressing:
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp + 1 tsp (35ml) fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsweetned applesauce
1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

To assemble:
1 bunch kale, destemmed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1 apple, cored and finely chopped (I skipped the apples and replaced by fresh cranberries instead)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Instructions:

1. Make the Pecan Parmesan: Preheat the over to 300F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes. (I actually toasted them for 20 minutes, as I prefer them crispy and slightly burnt. It brings out the sweetness and the fragrances). Set aside to cool for 5 mins.
2. Chop the pecans and mix the nutritional yeast, olive oil and salt. Set aside.
3. Make the dressing: mix all ingredients until combined. I actually add more cinnamon than recommended as I love the punch it gives to the dressing (not to mention the Holiday feels). I also pour in more lemon juice as I am a fan of the acidic taste. Feel free to let your taste buds guide you.
4. To assemble the salad: place the kale in a large salad bown and pour on the dressing. Massage the dressing into the leaves with your hands until fully coated. The author suggests to let it stand of at least 30 minutes. I let it stand for 3-4 hours as I like the leaves to really soften prior eating.
5. Top the kale with the apples (or fresh cranberries), cranberries and pomegranate arils. Prior to serving, sprinkle the Pecan Parmesan.

(A word on the preparation time: The author says this recipe takes 20-25 minutes. However, it took me 20 minutes just to remove the seeds from 3 pomegranates… Maybe I’m just inefficient? I was preparing the salad for 30 people and it took me closer to 1.5 hours. )

Get ready for people to fawn over the intense flavors of this healthy side dish. And don’t be worried about the meat lovers in your entourage. They’ll love it too (or worst case scenario, they won’t eat it and that’ll leave more for you. YAY!).

Much love and hugs,
Jules xoxo

TheSoulHugger.com 2016 – All rights reserved.